Monday, April 25, 2011
On Being Liberal
If by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal." Acceptance of the New York Liberal Party nomination (14 September 1960)
Friday, April 15, 2011
Canada's national character
We need to address our national character and ask whether we can be a more united, ambitious people and, more fundamentally, if we have what it takes to carry us through the next hundred years and beyond.
These are a few questions: "Who are we? Where do we belong?"
Do we have an identity problem as Canadians? What does it mean to be Canadian? I laugh when we are perceived as polite, quick to apologize and quick to lend a hand. I guess the truth will be known if we are ever faced with a national disaster. The Japanese are an example of a society that's behaviour clearly depicts the national characteristics: the country is faced with a catastrophic disaster and the citizens of the country band together as a society. The society did not become fragmented and they proved to world how cohesive a nation can be in the face of adversity: no looting or increase in crime.
These are a few questions: "Who are we? Where do we belong?"
Do we have an identity problem as Canadians? What does it mean to be Canadian? I laugh when we are perceived as polite, quick to apologize and quick to lend a hand. I guess the truth will be known if we are ever faced with a national disaster. The Japanese are an example of a society that's behaviour clearly depicts the national characteristics: the country is faced with a catastrophic disaster and the citizens of the country band together as a society. The society did not become fragmented and they proved to world how cohesive a nation can be in the face of adversity: no looting or increase in crime.
I wonder if Canadians realize.
First, what we must remember is that the public is never the problem. The problem is the way politicians speak to the public. Politicians and elected officials must remember to treat the audience as the intelligent participants that they are!"
Our role as Canadians is to cast our vote. We fought for democracy yet in 2008 voter turn out was the lowest in Canadian history: 58%.
I support democracy. I will gladly accept the outcome of any election if Canadians come out to vote but when 5,209,069 votes gives a political party a minority government with a population of 34,417,261 and 23,677,639 eligible voters it simply isn't enough. Another astounding outcome from the last election is that the Conservative Party of Canada received 165,002 fewer votes from 2006 to 2008 yet they gained 19 seats: an increase from 124 to 143. The same anomaly is evident with the 8 seats the NDP gained: 74,309 fewer votes. In total 974,206 fewer voters turned out between 2006 and 2008. 835,230 fewer votes for the Liberal Party of Canada from 2006 to 2008 drastically altered the outcome. Yes, I am Liberal. Yes, I support Liberal ideals but I control one vote: mine! If you want a change in this country please vote.
Our role as Canadians is to cast our vote. We fought for democracy yet in 2008 voter turn out was the lowest in Canadian history: 58%.
I support democracy. I will gladly accept the outcome of any election if Canadians come out to vote but when 5,209,069 votes gives a political party a minority government with a population of 34,417,261 and 23,677,639 eligible voters it simply isn't enough. Another astounding outcome from the last election is that the Conservative Party of Canada received 165,002 fewer votes from 2006 to 2008 yet they gained 19 seats: an increase from 124 to 143. The same anomaly is evident with the 8 seats the NDP gained: 74,309 fewer votes. In total 974,206 fewer voters turned out between 2006 and 2008. 835,230 fewer votes for the Liberal Party of Canada from 2006 to 2008 drastically altered the outcome. Yes, I am Liberal. Yes, I support Liberal ideals but I control one vote: mine! If you want a change in this country please vote.
shit harper did
Devlin and Cameron Reed created a website: shitharperdid.com. The site received 2 million hits, enough to crash the site but now if you log onto the site there is no access to the video. All that comes up on You Tube is a video produced asking Canadians to vote.Where is the video? I have read that the site was removed. If this is a result of censorship then we are in big trouble in this country. Canada is not a dictatorship. Not now - not ever! If this is what our country has come to we must take it back. This is greater than shit Harper did this is directly in conflict with our constitution. We need to bring the video back. Freedom of expression is one of the foundations of this country. Please do your part to bring back freedom.
I never thought that this would be an issue in this country.
I never thought that this would be an issue in this country.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The poor in Canada!
The Conservative Party's candidate: Chris Alexander claimed there is no poverty in Canada.
These are Mr. Alexander's words: "Anyone who thinks though, that poverty reduction, or poverty elimination, and I believe in poverty elimination in this country, we've eliminated it for the levels the World Bank recognizes. We don't have that kind of poverty in Canada. But we still have low income."
Unidentified woman: "You're lying, you're lying."
Crowd: groans
Alexander: two dollars a day? Two dollars a day? I would ask anyone in this room to stand up and tell me who's living on $2 a day?
Unidentified woman: I'm living on less. I'm the mother of 8 children and you guys took my unemployment away from because I got fired. Do you call that fair? And I have 8 children to feed and 3 grandchildren.
So what do we do. The Conservatives deny that 3.5 million Canadians are living in poverty - including more than 1 in 10 children in Canada. Canada is ranked near the bottom of all major developed countries when it comes to working-age poverty rates.
Is this the government we want? Do we want a government that sees what it wants to see or do we want a government that recognizes we need to do a better job by acknowledging those in need. Do they understand how difficult it is to ask for help? Do they understand the humility that one feels when they have to admit they cannot do it on their own? Do they understand what it feels like to be hungry or vulnerable? Drive down Hastings and Main Street any time of day and you will see that poverty exists in Canada for all of the world to see. How can they be so blind? The sad reality is that they are not blind they simply choose to ignore the facts. How can we turn our backs on the poor moreover how do we turn our backs on children? Who is he to decide what we as taxpayers do with 'OUR' money. What happened to our compassion?
These are Mr. Alexander's words: "Anyone who thinks though, that poverty reduction, or poverty elimination, and I believe in poverty elimination in this country, we've eliminated it for the levels the World Bank recognizes. We don't have that kind of poverty in Canada. But we still have low income."
Unidentified woman: "You're lying, you're lying."
Crowd: groans
Alexander: two dollars a day? Two dollars a day? I would ask anyone in this room to stand up and tell me who's living on $2 a day?
Unidentified woman: I'm living on less. I'm the mother of 8 children and you guys took my unemployment away from because I got fired. Do you call that fair? And I have 8 children to feed and 3 grandchildren.
So what do we do. The Conservatives deny that 3.5 million Canadians are living in poverty - including more than 1 in 10 children in Canada. Canada is ranked near the bottom of all major developed countries when it comes to working-age poverty rates.
Is this the government we want? Do we want a government that sees what it wants to see or do we want a government that recognizes we need to do a better job by acknowledging those in need. Do they understand how difficult it is to ask for help? Do they understand the humility that one feels when they have to admit they cannot do it on their own? Do they understand what it feels like to be hungry or vulnerable? Drive down Hastings and Main Street any time of day and you will see that poverty exists in Canada for all of the world to see. How can they be so blind? The sad reality is that they are not blind they simply choose to ignore the facts. How can we turn our backs on the poor moreover how do we turn our backs on children? Who is he to decide what we as taxpayers do with 'OUR' money. What happened to our compassion?
There is no excuse.
On Sunday, April 3 two students were 'removed' from a Conservative event because they had posted photographs of themselves with Michael Ignatieff. There is no excuse for the actions of the Conservative Party. When excuses are made to justify such an act it speaks volumes about the Conservative Party's disregard for the democratic, free society in which we live. There simply is not excuse. Anyone who justifies that behaviour must ask themselves just what it is they are justifying. Are they upholding their right to organize events that are exclusive in nature? If a political rally is exclusive to Conservative party members then the terms and conditions of the meetings should be advertised and promoted as a private, members only event. As citizens we are not questioning the right to organize a private event because private events are organized all the time. Private events are common place and are respected as such; we respect privacy and the freedom to organize a private event. Most of us wouldn't dream of crashing a party even though we love the movie 'the Wedding Crashers' however all we ask is that we are informed that the party is PRIVATE!
Now Harper has offered a photo-op to the two young women his party so mercifully humiliated as a means to make amends. This is just one more example of his disregard for the Canadian public. Regardless of your political affiliation simply ask yourself what harm would have come to the Conservative Party by welcoming the young women to the event?
This man frightens me. Yet for some reason he is our prime minister. Never before has Canada been ruled by a dictator. I feel like Winston Churchill. When are Canadians going to wake up and realize that he is a dangerous man. He has the characteristics of a dictator because he believes he knows what is best for Canadians. Moreover, he is conniving in his approach with his subtle attempts to undermine the political process: his failure to respect the democratic process, his contempt of parliament, his disregard for the parliamentary system and his non-secular views of political policy. It is time Canada to free ourselves while we can. Do not give this man a majority government. Do not re-elect him if you love this country.
Now Harper has offered a photo-op to the two young women his party so mercifully humiliated as a means to make amends. This is just one more example of his disregard for the Canadian public. Regardless of your political affiliation simply ask yourself what harm would have come to the Conservative Party by welcoming the young women to the event?
This man frightens me. Yet for some reason he is our prime minister. Never before has Canada been ruled by a dictator. I feel like Winston Churchill. When are Canadians going to wake up and realize that he is a dangerous man. He has the characteristics of a dictator because he believes he knows what is best for Canadians. Moreover, he is conniving in his approach with his subtle attempts to undermine the political process: his failure to respect the democratic process, his contempt of parliament, his disregard for the parliamentary system and his non-secular views of political policy. It is time Canada to free ourselves while we can. Do not give this man a majority government. Do not re-elect him if you love this country.
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